White Sox 7, Orioles 1
BALTIMORE -- Chris Sale improved to 6-0, Brett Lawrie homered for the third straight game and the Chicago White Sox routed the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Sunday.
After dropping the opening two games, Chicago earned a split in the four-game series. Baltimore lost two in a row at Camden Yards for the first time this year.
The White Sox have played 19 straight games and are finally off Monday before hosting a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox.
Sale (6-0) became the first White Sox pitcher to win his first six starts since Jon Garland won eight in a row in 2005, according to STATS.com. Sale allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks over 5 1/3 innings. He also threw a season-high 112 pitches in his shortest outing of the season.
Lawrie had three hits, including a solo homer in the fourth that gave the White Sox an early 1-0 lead. He now has 14 career home runs against Baltimore -- his most against any team.
The White Sox broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning when they sent 10 men to the plate against right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3). Carlos Sanchez knocked in a run on a fielder's choice before Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera each delivered RBI singles.
After Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold minimized the damage by throwing out Abreu at the plate, Jerry Sands delivered another two-run single that ended Jimenez's day.
Jimenez gave up a season-high six runs on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts over just 4 2/3 innings. He also had a wild pitch and hit two batters.
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his left foot.
Sale was replaced in the sixth by Jake Petricka, who immediately gave up an RBI single to Reimold that ended the shutout. Chicago right-hander Matt Albers pitched a scoreless seventh and has not allowed an earned run over his last 35 innings.
A sacrifice fly by Dioner Navarro in the ninth rounded out the scoring for the White Sox.
NOTES: Orioles RHP Zach Britton suffered a sprained left ankle in Saturday's game and was not available. However, it does not appear he will need to go on the DL. ... White Sox RHP Tommy Kahnle was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for RHP David Robertson, who was reinstated from the bereavement list prior to the game. ... Chicago RF Avisail Garcia was held out of the lineup for the second straight day after straining his right hamstring running out a grounder on the final play of Friday's game.